Sundance 2009: Eleven Documentaries to Wrestle With
In a short video remembrance of Sundance that played before many of the screenings in Park City last week, filmmaker Davis Guggenheim says the "dirty little secret" of the festival is that the best films every year are the documentaries. That may be overstating the case a bit, but it's true that films like Man on Wire, In the Shadow of the Moon, Iraq in Fragments, Trouble the Water, The Short Life of José Antonio Gutierez, and Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired are among the most memorable films I've seen at the fest. This year, while I'm not sure I... read more
Found in: Blogs, FestivusSundance 2009: Hideous Men and Big Fans
Robert D. Siegel wrote the critically acclaimed film The Wrestler (which just scored an Oscar nomination for Mickey Rourke's performance), and before that he was a senior editor for The Onion. And now he's making his directorial debut at Sundance with Big Fan. Patton Oswalt plays the title character, Paul, a Staten Island parking lot attendant who spends his nights and weekends obsessing over the New York Giants and their star linebacker. He lives with his mother, writes rant-filled commentary to read on late-night call-in radio shows, and sets up a lawn chair, a cooler, and a TV outside of... read more
Found in: Blogs, FestivusSundance 2009: Award Winners
Moments ago in Park City, Utah, the Sundance film festival announced the winners of its 2009 awards. While the noisiest competition at Sundance often seems to be the one among distributors vying for marketable films, or the one among filmmakers trying to drum up interest in their movies, Sundance also referees an official competition in which juries choose their favorites of the eligible films. Of the many prizes awarded by juries, the most prestigious are the two "grand jury prizes" for American dramatic and documentary films and the two "world cinema jury prizes" for foreign dramatic and documentary films. Each... read more
Found in: Blogs, FestivusSundance 2009: Paul Giamatti, Michael Cera, and Living in Public
Here's what I learned about the stars at Sundance this year: Paul Giamatti literally gave up his soul for a little peace and to improve his performance as Chekov's Uncle Vanya. Michael Cera and Charlyne Yi gave up their privacy when they agreed to let a documentary crew follow them around on dates. And both of these things can lead to madness. Or at least that's the premise of two fictional films and a documentary playing at Sundance. Cold Souls and Paper Heart both incorporate the images and names of their stars into their fictional stories, and a third film,... read more
Found in: Blogs, FestivusBurma VJ turns Sundance's eye toward government protests
Burma VJ, a documentary comprising smuggled footage of the uprising against the military dictatorship in Myanmar, debuted in North America over the weekend at the Sundance Film Festival.... read more
Found in: Movies, NewsSundance 2009: Young Romance
I've joked in the past about teen romances at Sundance. They seem to collapse into a subgenre all their own, each one telling the cute and touching story of a troubled loner (male) who is brought out of his shell by a perky new friend (female). I understand why young, inexperienced (male) filmmakers make these movies; I just don't understand why the Sundance programmers find them so interesting year after year. But in 2009, I'm glad to say, the filmmakers have been trying to break the mold. Some are finding more success than others, but I appreciate every effort. *... read more
Found in: Blogs, FestivusAmid grim forecast, Sundance acquisitions move forward
As sober financial outlooks continue to soften expectations for the business side of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the events have gone forward at full charge. For critical feedback, keep tuned to our Festivus blog as Paste’s chief film critic Robert Davis continues to provide rolling commentary.... read more
Found in: Movies, NewsPatton Oswalt blogs Sundance 2009
Sundance 2009 might be a stripped-down affair, owing to hard times everywhere, but little gems are still popping up here and there. Doubtlessly, a deluge of commentary will follow the festival's conclusion, but for now, some of our favorite boots-on-the-ground observations are coming from Patton Oswalt. He's holed up at Sundance for the premiere of his (thus far well-received) flick Big Fan.... read more
Found in: Movies, NewsSundance 2009: Taking Chance and Reporter
Well, it's been a busy weekend at Sundance, where I've packed in nearly twenty screenings since the last report. Let me start with a couple that I found particularly good: Taking Chance is a very simple film about Lt. Col. Michael Strobl (Kevin Bacon) who is escorting the body of a fallen PFC named Chance Phelps to his family. In under ninety minutes, the film bears witness to the respectful procedures that the USMC follows in such situations and to the reactions of ordinary Americans who Strobl meets on this particular journey. He doesn't know the Private, and we learn... read more
Found in: Blogs, FestivusSundance 2009: It Might Get Loud
A friend remarked to me that It Might Get Loud "has Paste written all over it," and sure enough it does seem to be up our alley. Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim, the director of An Inconvenient Truth, had the idea of bringing Jimmy Page, The Edge, and Jack White together to talk about guitars. And, you know, if they felt the urge, to jam a little. The result is a film that works as a brief chronicle of each musician's life and career — chock full of old clips, photos, concert footage, recordings, and visits to pivotal locations — as well... read more
Found in: Blogs, Festivus
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